Ethics, discipline and practical training add up to a better life for all.

Growth & Development

As in previous months, October has been characterised by enquiries about training programmes offered by CEFA. Prospective applicants have all expressed a passion to work with people and a keenness to make a difference in the lives of people. It is passion such as this that can bring about achievement of the goals of South Africa’s National Development Plan: Vision for 2030 – and create a better life for all. Team CEFA’s practice-backed-by-theory Community Development (CommDev) and Social Auxiliary Work (SAW) training programmes open up the road to those goals.

CEFA continues closely involved with the country-wide consultation process preparing the way for SAW training at NQF Level 5 (in place of the current NQF Level 4) – and in the evolving professional development of CommDev.

Community Development Training

CommDev Module 2 third cycle, facilitated by Mrs Elbie Conradie, is under way – with learners busy on field practice training. Module 2 focuses on the regulatory and policy framework in CommDev, with analysis and interpretation of the legal and the regulatory policy framework in Book 7, whilst Book 8 is concerned with organisational policy development. To make the learning experience more purposeful and integrated, mentors were given an overview of both content and specific workplace activities – so as to embed the field practice training.

Preparation is currently underway for verification of the first 73 credits of the programme: i.e. the three fundamental unit standards and the first six core unit standards of Module 1.

SAW Training Updates

July 2013 Intakes: Learners from these intakes have completed all their assessments – and their portfolios of evidence have been moderated. We are now waiting for the moderation reports for inclusion in the monitoring, evaluation and verification visit of the HWSETA scheduled for 28th November.

October 2013 Intakes: Learners from these intakes (Welkom and Bethlehem) wrote their examinations for cycle 3 of the programme at the beginning of the month and the first reassessment at the end of the month. The date for the Summative Case Study examination is 21st November.

January 2014 Intakes: Learners are currently busy with their cycle 3 practical training, which will continue until 9th December, after which they will write their examinations for Modules 7 to 9 on 10th – 12th December; practical training will continue until 2nd February 2015.

July 2014 Intakes: The practical training for cycle 1 ended on 24th October and learners have started with their cycle 2 theoretical training from 27th October.

SACSSP

Registration: Applications for registration with the South African Council for Social Service Professions (SACSSP) are being processed in three batches, due to some incomplete applications being received. Those certificates not yet received will be sent to the various facilitators as soon as they are to hand.

Facilitator and Mentor Orientation and Training

In order to ensure that all facilitators are informed about our guiding policies and training programmes, CEFA conducts facilitator orientation and training sessions on a regular basis. Facilitators, in turn, offer mentor training per cycle. In this way, we can respond timeously to any matters of concern which may affect learning and workplace experiences.

Workplace Site Validations

Workplace site validations for private learners in the Western Cape have been completed in Upington – and are continuing elsewhere. These visits are needed to determine whether the settings for practical training are conducive for optimal integrated workplace learning, as well as to ensure that the settings are compliant with the required health and safety requirements. This is in line with the requirements of the HWSETA and the South African Qualifications.

Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

On-going professional updating is a ‘must have’ for all professionals, which is why we pay close attention to providing CPD courses. Currently we can tell you that our Durban CPD for Social Workers on 11th November is fully booked – with 40 attending a day hosted by Dr Margie Maistry. Then, in Johannesburg on 20th November we are expecting more than 190 Social Workers at a special event which will be one of the largest gatherings for CPD training this year in South Africa – at Monash University (Lecture Room No 1).

Communication

To all of you who access our website, or who visit us on Facebook, we look forward to hearing from you. What sparks your interest in the practical training and career paths that we offer? In October most the 56% of our contacts from within South Africa came from Gauteng and the Western Cape; of the other 47%, 19% came from the Netherlands – the rest were spread across the globe from the USA to Russia. Our Facebook address is at www.facebook.com/CEFAinAfrica – come visit and interact with us from wherever you are.

We look forward to meeting you – and helping you towards achieving a better life for all. CEFA has a key to the door – together we can open it!